Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars – Easy, Chewy, So Good!

Peanut butter lovers, rejoice! These Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars will be one of your new favorite peanut butter desserts!! With creamy peanut butter, chewy oats and melty chocolate throughout, these cookie bars are decadent and seriously make for the perfect easy dessert!

A cross between a cookie and a blondie, these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars are so decadent and SO delicious. Crispy, golden brown on the edges and a yummy gooey center, these cookie bars are seriously perfection! So perfect you will forget they are actually a HEALTHY sweet treat!

These easy oatmeal bars are made with simple ingredients and are bursting with the most delicious chocolate and peanut butter flavor. They are also are gluten free as written (just be sure to use certified gluten-free oats) and can easily made vegan as well. So everyone can get on board with this easy dessert recipe!!

Other than being insanely delicious, the best part about the Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars is, they freeze SO well! And we all know how great freezer desserts are. It’s always the BEST having freezer desserts on hand!

To freeze, let the bars cool, then cut into 9 bars. For best results, wrap each bar individually in wax paper then place all the bars in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. The bars will stay good for 3-4 months. The perfect treat to pull out whenever an indulgent peanut butter and chocolate craving strikes!

INGREDIENTS

• Peanut Butter– since peanut butter is the main ingredient in this recipe, you want to make sure to use a peanut butter you love the taste of! Since the flavor will shine through the cookie bar base. I love using natural peanut butter and also American Dream nut butters (which are a little sweeter). The taste of both are a little different, so use use whatever you think makes sense for how you want your cookie bars to taste! You could also easily sub for almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. Just know that they will change the overall flavor some too.
• Sweetener– I used Monk Fruit granular sweetener. You can sub for sugar or any granular sugar alternative.
• Brown sugar sweetener– I used Monk Fruit golden sweetener. Any brown sugar or brown sugar alternative will work!
• Eggs – I haven’t tried personally, but I would think subbing eggs for flax eggs would work for this recipe. If you try it, let us know in the comments!
• Vanilla extract – to give it the best warm vanilla cookie flavor!
• Oats– I used old fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats would also work. I would not recommend using steel cut oats here as that will really throw the texture off.
• Oat Flour – I love the oat-ey flavor the oats bring but you could also use all-purpose flour, gf flour or almond flour. You could even just use more oats in its place.
• Baking soda
• Salt – to help the flavors of everything come out even more!
• Chocolate chips– I used Enjoy Life. You could also use chopped chocolate or chocolate chunks here!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

• Basically peanut butter oatmeal cookies, but in gooey cookie bar form!
• They’re healthy and made with wholesome ingredients!
• Naturally gluten-free and easy to make vegan – so everyone can enjoy these!
• Easy ingredients + easy clean up – minimal ingredients used and only ONE bowl required!
• Macro-balanced & a perfect healthy snack to won’t spike blood sugar levels.
• Satisfies your sweet tooth, in a healthy way, without the sugar crash!
• CHOCOLATE + PEANUT BUTTER – enough said! One of my favorite combos EVER!!

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8×8” square pan or dish with parchment paper. 
2. To a large bowl, add the wet ingredients- peanut butter, both sweeteners, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. 
3. Add the dry ingredients- oats, oat flour, baking soda and salt and mix using a spatula or spoon (an electric mixer also works here) until all ingredients are incorporated. Then fold in half of the chocolate chips. 
4. Transfer mixture to the lined dish and smooth the top so it’s even using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. 
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. It will still look underdone when you take it out, but it will set as it sets and this is how you keep it gooey! 
6. Let cool for at least 30 minutes then cut into bars and enjoy! 

HOW TO STORE CHEWY PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS

Store an airtight container or with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 7 days or room temperature for 1-2 days. Since they have eggs in them, I would recommend storing in the fridge. They taste better chilled anyway!

To freeze, let the bars cool, then cut into 9 bars. For best results, wrap each bar individually in wax paper then place all the bars in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. The bars will stay good for 3-4 months.

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIE BARS: FAQ

OTHER DELICIOUS PEANUT BUTTER DESSERTS TO TRY

• HEALTHY EDIBLE MONSTER PROTEIN COOKIE DOUGH
• PEANUT BUTTER PIE (EASY, NO-BAKE!)
• EASY MONSTER PROTEIN COOKIE DOUGH BARS
• HEALTHY CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS (4 INGREDIENTS)

WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?

If you try these Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars and love them, please rate this recipe! 

You can also tag me on Instagram or TikTok @LaurenFitFoodie. It makes my day seeing your yummy recreations!